SHIP DIVERTED TO WELLINGTON

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 112, 24 February 1950, Page 4

SHIP DIVERTED TO WELLINGTON

TORT CONGESTION AT AUCKLAND (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 23. A last-minute decision to divert the New Zealand Shipping Company’s motor-ship Pipiriki, inward bound from New York, from Auckland to Wellington was made this afternoon by the company. The Pipiriki was expected to arrive at Auckland at 5 a.m. to-morrow, but was diverted because of the serious port congestion. She should reach Wellington on Saturday. The Pipiriki would have taken twelfth place in the order of securing a working berth, hut priority had been arranged to enable her to land 30,000 cases of Jamaican oranges. She would have discharged the fruit and then gone to anchor to stay for her turn to unload several thousand tons of general cargo. The oranges will now be distributed to other centres from Wellington. A new shipping gross tonnage record of 235,251 tons was established to-day when seven ships waited at anchor. Twelve vessels with overseas cargoes are expected to enter port between Saturday and Tuesday, the last day on which goods under 1949 import licences may reach New ealand.

OVERTIME DECLINED IN COOL STORE (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 23. Workers in the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company’s cool store on the Auckland waterfront refused to accept night overtime this evening after a dispute over overtime wage claims. The men normally work between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., but to-day work stopped at 5 p.m. The first effects of the dispute will be felt to-morrow in the loading of butter and cheese cargoes into overseas food ships. Refrigerated waggons loaded at the cool store in the evening usually provide sufficient produce for the following morning’s loading. Five ships will bo affected in varying degrees.